Every once in a while.
Every now and again.
I’m gonna pour a cup of coffee,
and tell a story.
“Younger Than We Are Today”
I’ve always thought that, no matter how old you are, in ten years, you’ll wish you were the age you are today…
So why not enjoy the age you are now?
Good old days happen all the time.
Anyway, I’ve never planned much of anything in my entire life.
I never put any thought into what I was going to do after high school.
I just figured, “Well, we’ll see what happens…”
I’ve always just kinda made it up as I went along.
I don’t like to plan what I’m gonna do on the weekend.
I don’t like planning out what I’m going to play at my next show.
I just show up and start singing.
It’s kinda the same way that you probably don’t decide what you’re are going to talk about when you’re on your way to a BBQ or a party.
You just show up and wing it.
So when I was on my way to write with Ben Cyllus,
I figured, if there was a song to stumble into…
We’d stumble into it.
“I’m Your Huckleberry”
On October 15, 2013, I got together with Trevor Rosen and Matt Ramsey from Old Dominion to write a song.
I’d written with Trevor dozens of times, but this was the first time I’d written with Matt as well.
Things were really starting to percolate for those guys, I was lucky that they had an open day where we could get together and try to write a song.
We met at Matt’s place.
New album “Lonesome Stretch Of Highway” out May 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 18, 2019
EDMONTON, AB — Edmonton-based Royalty Records is proud to announce the signing of legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Mike Plume. The label will release Plume’s new album Lonesome Stretch Of Highway in May 2020, with the singles “Younger Than We Are Today” and “I’m Your Huckleberry” released to radio and digital service providers in February 2020.
Lonesome Stretch Of Highway finds Plume reborn in many ways. Its ten tracks bear his distinctive mark, but with an added crackling energy that’s a byproduct of hard-won experience. Recorded in his adopted hometown of Edmonton, the album marks Plume’s third collaboration with producer Marek David, and the first time they’ve worked together since 2001’s Fools For The Radio.
Royalty Records president Rob Smith says, “I have been a fan of Mike as a writer, artist and performer for a long time. I am proud to have him working with Royalty and even more proud to say that, I believe we’re releasing the best work of his career to date.”
Having first arrived on the scene in the midst of the alt-country insurgency of the early 1990s, Mike Plume and his loyal band have logged countless miles around the globe, touring with the likes of Steve Earle, The Mavericks, John Hiatt and others, while befriending legends such as Levon Helm and Stompin’ Tom Connors. The lessons he’s learned along the way have left an indelible mark on Lonesome Stretch Of Highway, with songs such as “Younger Than We Are Today,” “I’m Your Huckleberry,” “It’s A Long Way” (featuring The Road Hammers), and “Perfume And Gasoline” destined to take a place among his best-loved tunes.
Plume has long been known for his richly detailed storytelling style and unyielding devotion to rock and roll’s original spirit. That’s all present on Lonesome Stretch Of Highway, powered by Plume’s earthy, uncompromising voice. That combination is proof that one of Canada’s most accomplished singer/songwriters remains at the top of his game and is ready to hit that highway again.
“A Christmas Story Of Sorts…”
On the afternoon of December 24th, 1991, I was making my way home to Bonnyville from a gig somewhere in Alberta.
Probably Barrhead.
It had been a long year and I was looking forward to getting home for the Holidays.
As I was passing through Edmonton I figured I’d stop and do some last minute shopping.
Downtown Edmonton was crazy with the hustle and bustle of other last minute shoppers like me.
It was snowing.
Elvis was having a Blue Christmas.
Bing, a White Christmas.
Marilyn Monroe was singing to her Santa Baby.
Or was it Eartha Kitt’s version?
I don’t remember now…
Anyway, it was complete Norman Rockwell and after a couple of hours, I had almost everything I’d come for.
“Back Home For Christmas”
Maybe it’s just me, but when you listen to this album, you can tell it was snowing outside when we recorded it.
You can just feel that the roads were dodgy at best…
Anyway, I wrote “Gather ‘round the Christmas Tree” back in November of 2001.
Other than playing it in December every year, I had no idea what to do with it, so I set it aside.
Then, in December of 2004, while working as a Courier in Toronto, I wrote “Merry Xmas to My ExMiss”.
***see “A Courier’s Blues (Another Christmas Story of Sorts..)***
Six years would pass before I wrote another Christmas song.
It was written on a “Snow Day” in Nashville.
Snow had been forecast the night before and so school was canceled due to “Potential Inclement Weather”.
The next morning, there might have been an inch of snow on the ground.
Ruby was so excited that she put on her snowsuit and went in the front yard and rolled around.
I was more concerned about her getting grass stains on her snowsuit than anything else…
“Hey Ruby, try to catch a snowflake on yer tongue!!!”
“I will, Daddy! Mmmm yummy!!! Do they get this much snow in Canada, Daddy?”
“Yeah, they sure do, Ruby…”
She started singing “Oh the weather outside is frightful…”
I’ll never ever forget the look on her face…
Her red snowsuit swishing as she made snow angels.
I could live in that moment forever.
“One day this Christmas Day will be one from long ago,
and I’ll remember Ruby making angels in the snow…”
Mike Plume
December 23, 2019.
“New MPB Album – Spring 2020”
These two guitars first met in September of 1994.
Over the years, they’ve probably played over 1000 shows together.
Towns like, Austin, Albany, Abilene, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Asbury Park, Boston, Baltimore, Bend, Bonnyville, Calgary, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Dawson City, Edmonton, Edinburg, Fargo, Galway, Grand Forks, Jasper, Kingston, Kansas City, London Ontario, London England, Minneapolis, Madison, Miami, Nashville, North Hampton, New York City, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Portland, Rochester, Seattle, Saskatoon, Santa Cruz, Toronto, Tampa, Thunder Bay, Victoria, Wakefield, Winnipeg and Yellowknife, to name a few…
“If God Gives You Melons…”
I’ve always been a voracious reader.
But it can take me a year to read a book.
The fact is, I started to get left behind in Grade 5.
By the time I hit Grade 7, I couldn’t keep up.
Things just snowballed from there.
I wasn’t a bad kid.
By and large, I think the teachers liked me.
I just sat at the back of the classroom and didn’t say a word.
The truth is, I never got much better than 50% on any test in high school.
I think the highest mark I ever got in high school was a 62.
There was just no way that I could keep up with the workload.
“One Last Round Before The Snow…”
Late October 1998.
Edmonton.
There might’ve been 6 cars in the parking lot, as I pulled into 7 Oaks for one last round of golf.
Summer had long since wound down,
and Fall was hanging on for dear life.
It was raining.
It was cold.
The wind was roaring down from the north.
I grabbed my clubs and walked to the clubhouse.
The weather was miserable at best.
But, at least, there wasn’t any snow on the ground.
Not yet, anyway…
“9/11”
Everyone has their “September 11th” story.
Here’s mine…
“9/11”
After 3 years and 3 months, (and somewhere around 700+ shows), the “Song and Dance, Man” tour ended on November 18th, 2000 at the Blacksheep in Wakefield, Quebec.
The next day we drove to the Tragically Hip’s studio in Bath, Ontario to begin work on the follow-up album to be called “Fools For The Radio”.
By mid-January 2001, recording was completed.
To celebrate, I quit smoking.
A great idea and not one of my better ideas at the same time…
Two days later, we hopped on a plane and flew to Amsterdam for a six-week tour of Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England and Ireland.
I started smoking again.
On March 10th, we flew back to Tennessee.
I quit smoking again on March 11, 2001.
Five days later, we drove to Boston for a Saint Patrick’s Day gig.
Serious.
Nicotine.
Withdrawal.
